I enjoyed most of this book, although it was admittedly rather rambling and slow-moving. HOWEVER, IMHO Walton blew it when she had the boy (sorry, I'm terrible with names and I've already forgotten his) see the fairies and therefore made all the magic "real".

I was okay with this. Mori decides that the boy (Garaint?) was only pretending to see the fairies.

I'm about halfway through and I've been enthralled on every page. I'm curious to see if the magic is real, but whether or not it is, it won't matter.

Why don't more writers have their characters reading and commenting on books? It connects us.

Something else that struck me was a comment made in Mori's first meeting with the SF book club. I don't recall the exact wording, but it was something like characters will seem realistic to us if they're a product of their environment. And that this is the same for mainstream fiction. A character who feels realistic for one world wouldn't seem realistic in another world. You wouldn't accept Severian if he lived in Narnia, for example.

Finished the book today, and see that I spoke too soon concerning the boy who saw the fairies. I hadn't met Wim, who apparently did see the fairies. There was another boy earlier, a friend of both girls, and he didn't see them.

If Mori is telling the truth about what Wim saw, then the magic is real. I'd rather the magic not be real, because if it was, then I felt the ending was rushed and rather a letdown.

But the magic parts of the book weren't what I liked anyway. I liked watching Mori start to relate to people, become her own person, separate from her twin.

Just read Among Others. It was pretty good. More worthy of the Hugo than Leviathan Wakes but maybe not A Dance with Dragons depending on what you think of single books of series winning awards. (I have not read the other 2 nominees)

I think the constant reference to SciFi books was a little indulgent even though it fit in the plot and style (diary). She named plenty of Zelazny but not Lord of Light????

The end was pretty weird. Not the sister and mother thing but the 3 guys showing up right at the end.

Originally Posted by Contrarius

Ha. I just looked this up -- Lord Foul's Bane won the British Fantasy Society award for best novel in 1977, so Walton should have included it!

She did inlclude it. She said she did not want to read it. It was mentioned several times.

So I went to a real-life book club last night where Among Others was the topic of discussion. Folks mentioned many of the same things we discussed here, but one thing I thought interesting was that most people did not like Wim. Though he was a bit of a manipulative jerk who was just trying to get in Mori's pants...the whole thing where he dates another girl just to see if Mori gets jealous is a total jerk move.

Also, one person mentioned that Wim probably didn't actually "see" the fairies, and was just claiming to in order to get on good terms with Mori...which leaves the whole "was the magic real or was Mori just imagining them" question up in the air.

Interesting stuff, and it was fun to get new things to think about regarding the book.

Also, one person mentioned that Wim probably didn't actually "see" the fairies, and was just claiming to in order to get on good terms with Mori...which leaves the whole "was the magic real or was Mori just imagining them" question up in the air.

Which is a win win, as those who don't normally read 'that Fantasy stuff' can go down the 'wasn't real' route, whilst those who do can claim that it is a Fantasy novel.

Was the group a non-genre group, Corp? I'm interested because I think that this is one of those books that might appeal to untypical genre readers, whilst to many it's a book about loving books.

Rather like the reaction to Cloud Atlas or The Time Traveller's Wife, it could be a genre book for non-genre people. Have i got that wrong?

(And no, I haven't read it, other than the odd extract: still not available here in the UK.)

Which is a win win, as those who don't normally read 'that Fantasy stuff' can go down the 'wasn't real' route, whilst those who do can claim that it is a Fantasy novel.

Definitely, and I think that ambiguity is a strength of the novel. One employee of the book store that hosted the discussion said that he views it as a crossover novel, one for genre and non-genre readers can enjoy, but also for young adults looking to transition into adult books.

Was the group a non-genre group, Corp? I'm interested because I think that this is one of those books that might appeal to untypical genre readers, whilst to many it's a book about loving books.

It was a genre group. Next month's book is Leviathan Wakes and after that is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Rather like the reaction to Cloud Atlas or The Time Traveller's Wife, it could be a genre book for non-genre people. Have i got that wrong?

(And no, I haven't read it, other than the odd extract: still not available here in the UK.)

Among Others isn't available in the UK yet? I thought Walton was a UK writer? I heard that her back catalog will finally be getting reprints here in the states soon. Typically the only book of hers available on the shelf is Among Others

Among Others isn't available in the UK yet? I thought Walton was a UK writer? I heard that her back catalog will finally be getting reprints here in the states soon. Typically the only book of hers available on the shelf is Among Others

No. Tooth and Claw has just been released but no others yet, as far as I know: not even Farthing. And yes, from Wales, originally, I think. But resident in the US for quite a while.

Later Update: A quick look around shows that Amazon have Amongst Others released on the 21st March by Corsair Books.